Vol. 475 No. 5
98 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Health the impact the judicial inquiry into hepatitis C has had on the compensation tribunal; the number of cases heard each month since the compensation tribunal was initiated; the number of applicants who have postponed acceptance of awards until after the outcome of the judicial inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5267/97]
Limerick East): I am informed that the tribunal of inquiry on hepatitis C has had no effect on the work of the compensation tribunal which has continued to hear claims and to arrange the listing and hearing of claims for future dates.
The scheme to compensate certain persons who have contracted hepatitis C from the use of human immunoglobulin-anti-D, whole blood or other blood products was formally established in December 1995. The compensation tribunal commenced hearings in January 1996 and regular hearings commenced in March 1996.
When the compensation scheme was established, it provided for a period of one month from the date of notification of an award by the compensation tribunal for a claimant to consider whether to accept or reject an award. In November 1996, I amended Clause 5(i) of the compensation scheme to allow that the period for consideration of an award by a claimant be extended until one month after the report of the tribunal of inquiry is published, or one month after the date or receiving notice of the award, whichever shall occur later.
Of the 99 awards made since 24 October 1996, 26 are still under consideration by the claimants. The compensation tribunal is not in a position to state how many of these claimants are awaiting the outcome of the tribunal of inquiry before making a decision in relation to accepting or rejecting their award.
The number of cases heard by the compensation tribunal each month since it commenced in January 1996 is as follows:
|
January 1996 |
2 |
August 1996* |
|
|
February 1996 |
1 |
September 1996 |
11 |
|
March 1996 |
22 |
October 1996 |
33 |
|
April 1996 |
19 |
November 1996 |
31 |
|
May 1996 |
18 |
December 1996 |
23 |
|
June 1996 |
26 |
January 1997 |
25 |
|
July 1996 |
42 |
February 1997 |
13 |
|
(to date) |
